JESUS SPEAKING
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisees, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.” (Matthew 23: 23 – 26)
INSPIRED THOUGHTS
Rigid outward obedience to God’s commandments doesn’t represent genuine faith. Instead, these behaviors are merely an external expression of a transformed heart. Jesus berated the religious leaders for their public deception and inward wickedness.. In an effort to remain ritualistically clean, the Pharisees would often strain out their liquids; preventing them from accidentally swallowing any small flies (gnats); (yet they swallowed a camel instead.) This obsession with ceremonial purity rendered them incapable of accomplishing good works, showing compassion toward others, and spreading God’s message of reconciliation. Christianity has always been focused on the purity of the heart; which compels the faithful to obey God’s will.
Some time ago, while driving through the parking lot of my old church, I noticed a speed limit sign. The pace was terribly slow, and yet I followed the rule because it was posted. My mind was outwardly committed to obedience, and yet I lacked the internal motivation necessary to obey without grumbling. Shortly thereafter, I recalled that the church was also a school, and that there were children present. My attitude abruptly changed. I finally understood the truth concerning that speed limit, and also what had inspired it. From that moment on, I chose to obey, not only because it was posted, but because I shared an affection for the children and didn’t want to see any of them injured. The outward rule was no longer merely outward, but inward as well.
Similarly, in the bible we are given rules and regulations that describe what outward obedience to God looks like; and yet if we only adhere because of what we have read we may stumble into hypocrisy. Instead, when we give our lives to Jesus Christ and are reborn, the Holy Spirit enters our hearts and illuminates our minds. We can finally obey because we possess a genuine love for God and others. Thus obedience and faith are inseparable.
“Lord Heavenly Father, we yearn to share the desires of Your heart; may our faith be genuine and our actions devoid of hypocrisy. Grant us new life through Your Holy Spirit, that we would obey You and accomplish Your works upon this earth. May we be the men and women you have called us to be, as we serve others in sincerity and truth. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!
Jesus Speaks 